Backups and Alternates
by Blue-Love-Story
Summary: A's new replacement is a lovely 17 year old girl... and by lovely what is meant is 'creepy'. She's taken a purely educational interest in BB, the aloof murderer, but his interest in her isn't so innocent. Watch out A... your teacher's watching you.
1. Observation

**Backups and Alternates**

**Chapter 1: Observation**

Beyond Birthday…

We all knew your story. We all feared the name… because you were crazy. Insane. Hysterical. They feared you for your capability, the way they knew you could prove them all right at any moment. They thought you'd snapped. Lost it. Sold your marbles. They feared the way you could give a cold look, the way your eyes glowed crimson beneath slick black hair… they feared you for your mystery. Your paleness. Creepy. Strange. Dangerous. That's what they called you.

Me? I called you misunderstood. Victim of prejudice. Nearly alone… nearly.

After Alice…

That's what I named you. Only in my mind have I ever called you this pet name. Quiet. Soft spoken. Wondering Alice. Older students looked at you as if you might've been about ten years old. But I knew your age. I knew you were 17. I knew your height weight and various times have I studied your young, flawless featured. They thought you were weird because you kept to yourself. They worried because your voice was not in your throat but in your mind. They assumed terrible things about your mental state due to your social preference; none. Silent. Mad. Loner.

I simply knew you were misunderstood. These critics never took the time to look past the porcelain-doll-like beauty to glance at what lay beneath.

I did.

I did not like what I found, After Alice.


	2. Enraged

**Backups and Alternates**

**Chapter 2: Enraged**

On January the 18th, I, B wandered the Wammy House aimlessly; the watery feeling of boredom enveloping my mind. Back-up? I scoffed at the word. I am much more than a simple Back-up; who was L to make such an impersonal decision? Since when did human life become so meaningless to the point that another life could be called 'Back-up'? And what made L like a god? What made him so different, so different and special that he needed a backup… like… a hard drive?

'I am no flash drive…' I thought bitterly, clenching my fists. Now, I wasn't a particularly large man. At age 17 I stood about five feet and ten inches. With large hands that weren't uncommon for people my age and height. I carry a thick black mop of hair on my head. Though, through all this, the most interesting to my peers was not my hair, nor my hands, or my height, but my eyes. Deep, bloody crimson stained my irises. I had to tell people that I had a condition, but they still looked at me strangely.

* * *

A… The Alternate! I hated L. I hated him so much right now. First off, L is a man. I am not. I am a female who stands at about five feet 7-8 inches, with black hair and shocking silver eyes. There is no way I could be expected to mimic a male… not the way I knew another of my peers could.

Scarlet Gaze… that seemed like a good nickname, didn't it? He was probably more capable than I was, and most likely more excited about being a copy of L than I was. The only reason I was here was because Watari is my grandfather. Watari—or Quillish Wammy—is the founder of the Wammy house. Needless to say when my parents died I had no choice but to live here… the life of a clone. Why was I so insignificant that I could stand-in for someone if something happened to them?

With my breath held I bristled and continued to stride down the commons to my next class. Just as I took another breath, a ridiculous amount of force collided with me, sending all my newfound air to exit my body as I was hurled to the floor. The shock sent my vision into black and white as if viewing the keys of the nearby piano in fast-motion. My books were sent out in all directions near the miniature catastrophe.


	3. Calm

**Backups and Alternates**

**Chapter 3: Calm**

_Author's Note: This chapter begins with A's perspective. If you haven't understood by now the points of view switch consecutively between BB and A._

A… The Alternate! I hated L. I hated him so much right now. First off, L is a man. I am not. I am a female who stands at about five feet 7-8 inches, with black hair and shocking silver eyes. There is no way I could be expected to mimic a male… not the way I knew another of my peers could.

Scarlet Gaze… that seemed like a good nickname, didn't it? He was probably more capable than I was, and most likely more excited about being a copy of L than I was. The only reason I was here was because Watari is my grandfather. Watari—or Quillish Wammy—is the founder of the Wammy house. Needless to say when my parents died I had no choice but to live here… the life of a clone. Why was I so insignificant that I could stand-in for someone if something happened to them?

With my breath held I bristled and continued to stride down the commons to my next class. Just as I took another breath, a ridiculous amount of force collided with me, sending all my newfound air to exit my body as I was hurled to the floor. The shock sent my vision into black and white as if viewing the keys of the nearby piano in fast-motion. My books were sent out in all directions near the miniature catastrophe.

At first my reaction was to chew the careless, accidental, saboteur out; finding myself calming down as the man apologized to me, I reconsidered.

"Oh my…I'm sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. Let me help…" he mused, his voice only a low drone, very monotonic.

"Thanks, and don't worry about it," I began reluctantly and we scrambled around gathering my school materials, "I wasn't either."

* * *

Once all her school junk was collected in our arms I looked at the girl I inadvertently assaulted for the first time. Or, rather, for the first time_ today_. It would be my first time had I not taken extensive notes on this girl. Her manners were nice enough, but she seemed perturbed. Angry.

"Well, I hope you're alright. Tell me…" I leaned forward, bringing my face centimeters from hers to study her intensely, "What is the cause? Or is it that I've knocked you over?"

At this the girl blinked once slowly—painfully slowly—and then proceeded to stare at me. It rattled me, to be honest. By this time I had considered she was fading into a state of comatose shock… but alas before I could refer the woman to a clinic she smiled at last—something I had only imagined was possible for this girl's face.

"Well, A means 'Alternate'. I don't much care for it… I'm not fond of being a…" she trailed thoughtfully, her already soft voice dimming away.

"A… Back-up?" my accidental attacker wondered. I looked up suddenly, and expression of understanding crossing my unusually blank features.

"Precisely."

"And that makes your name 'A'… am I wrong?"

"No, you're not…"

"So that means you are the alternate—pardon me for saying so—to the original A…"

"Yes…"

I got closer to this girl, studying her face carefully, noting the creases of her cheeks as they softened to a smile.

"What…?" she added. I only leaned closer to her, causing A to lean backwards at an odd angle. Suddenly without warning I stood up, still in a slouch, and took a step back.

* * *

I wasn't sure if I felt rejected or relieved that he was no longer taking note of me.

"Nothing…" he said, chewing his thumb, "You're just very… intriguing." Contrary to his countenance, I thought I saw a little excitement in his face that he met someone like-minded who understood that there was something wrong with being simple 'Alternatives'. As I was lost in his facial features I thought I saw a little flicker of positivity in his otherwise baseline face—of the forbidden expression; a smile.

"Thank you. There's—" my sentence was betrayed by the shrill ringing of the bell, signaling my lateness. "I've class to attend, but, I'll see you later, Stranger." I added quietly. This 'stranger' was a little white lie. I knew about him from the extensive watching of this man, but I would never tell him that.

"B. My letter is B." he said, and left me with the faint smile that was incredibly hard to notice. I turned and passed B on my way to class.

"Then I'll see you around, B…" I mumbled quietly. Silently I had regretted the bell, for it had interrupted my own private observation of him.


	4. Devious

'Why do they fear him?' I thought. 'Has he ever been strange? He's very normal…' but part of me knew that wasn't true. For the thing that irked me the most were those bitter, apple-red eyes…

* * *

I wasn't sure if it was her pale, nearly white skin, her black hair that harbored just a tint of blue from how dark it was, or her silver eyes that imitated charcoal when her pupils were dilated… but something made this girl, A, apart from those who judged me.

'She is judged too,' I thought to myself, 'And acts like it doesn't matter.'

That was it… I had to follow her, just for a while. Just to class… my own classes could wait; I already knew everything there was to know at the Wammy House. I wandered to the back of the class after the first wave of early students. My black shirt and jeans blended in with the majority of the student body's attire. After the rest of the class shuffled in the low roar became louder, as some of the few found their companions. A sat three seats in front of me and one row to the right. Directly next to me was a boy with reddish brown hair and a vest with long, snaky, striped arms that—at the hands—lay a pack of cigarettes. I knew his name was Matt here, but his real name was Mail Jeevas. I also knew A's real name, but I'll never reveal it. Not unless she lets me. Matt gave me a smirk and licked his lips, which caused my cheeks to imitate my eyes. I averted his gaze and stared at the board, attempting to ignore him.

A was busy scribbling the notes the teacher was dictating, but I was still taking notes on her;

She looks up through her bangs when she understands a topic.

She gnaws her tongue when she doesn't.

She chews her lip when she's thinking.

She—is moving. She's decided to come to the back of the class. And… she sat next to me. When class was over she walked with me silently to the commons. Or rather, walked next to me…

"Look, you're obviously more suited for this than I am… I don't want to be L… I just... Will you teach me all you know? I'm not stupid it's—"

"Well, obviously not…" I chuckled very slightly. I, only for a moment, saw a faint pink tint cross her otherwise white face. She smiled back and continued.

"Just that if I have to be L… I can't delegate the task to you. Will you teach me?"

How could I refuse? This was after all, a rather good-yet unexpected-start to my plan. Naturally I said "Of course..."

Unfortunately, for A those would be the words that sealed her fate over the next 2 years.


	5. Asleep

Well, I had done it. I asked Beyond Birthday for help; he was to teach me how to be L. I knew he was better at certain things than me, and there was no way I could be L without first taking down my opponents by stealing their game plans. I was going to know everything BB did, and my own knowledge and finally, when L needed me... I would be there and I would succeed him. I would be the greatest detective the world had ever seen. Here's an interesting fact; did you know that the world's top three detectives are really L himself? He doesn't want anyone close enough to take his title from him. I understood this, and I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me.

This is why I need you, B. There is no ulterior motive. I need to use you. That's all.

It's nothing personal; you're handsome, I'll admit, and you've certainly an interesting personality on you... however you're too useful to be anything more than a threat. I continued through the hallways to get to my room: the walls were lined with stone that echoed with my steps. Ominously there was seemingly no end to this hallway, and the farther I got into it, the farther I was into being lost. I knew this was my dorm hallway... right? I had gotten out of class late because I was in the commons playing the piano for our music teacher-Mr. Lawliet. (Who-by the way-bears a striking resemblance to B.) Whoever he was he certainly seemed to appreciate my musical skill. I was beginning to get worried; my heart began to race, and my palms began to sweat. Perhaps it was the dark that made me feel like I was being watched or perhaps it was the cameras, or it might have even been the fact that-no matter which direction I turned-the hallways didn't have an end. I was beginningto panic but when I stopped to take a breath, and turned around at the sound of a footstep to see Mr. Lawliet.

"Ahhh-!" I started to say but he placed a hand over my mouth. He sighed and removed his palm after he was sure I would be quiet.

"Care to tell me," he paused chewing his thumb nail and looking at me with full eyes, "Why you haven't gone to bed yet?" he asked. I began to explain that I was lost and he directed me to my room.

"Thanks... I'll... see you tomorrow. Adieu." Isaid feeling pretty stupid for not being able to find my room. Mr. Lawliet nodded and bid me goodnight as well. I watched his back disappear down the hallway just in case B was already in my room. Once I was sure he wouldn't notice anything suspicious I opened the door and stepped through. Once I shut it again the door made a 'click' sound, and when I turned around to examine the cause I was pulled back, a cold, metal object against the soft flesh of my throat. An arm was wrapped around my waist, preventing my escape. Once again my heart raced but this time I didn't have the strength to run; the stress of the evening had finally taken me over. I gave in to pressure and fainted quietly in my captor's grasp.

* * *

Wait... alright that was _not_ supposed to happen.

Alright, I know it looks bad. I'm fully aware that she's been fainted for a few moments now, but I really wasn't expecting this. I expected her to be frightened, I expected her to reason with me, to beg me to stop this. It was part of me teaching her. I glanced at the five wara-ningyo nailed to the walls.

"A...? Wake up... please?" I asked lowering the knife and re-sheathing it. I shook her a little bit, her limp legs just barely holding her up as she leaned against me. I sighed and carried her to the bed bridal style. I laid her fragile, fainted body on the soft sheets of the bed, watching her closely. For some reason my hand reached forward. My hand is not a hand. It cannot be a hand because hands are supposed to do as your brain dictates. I did not dictate my hand to stretch its long skeletal fingers towards the flawless skin of the young girl passed out on the bed. I did not, furthermore, tell my hand to make contact with her cheek ever so lightly.

'Hand, I will buy you some gloves in exchange for you stopping.' I attempted to reason with my hand that was not a hand. It didn't seem to like my offering, considering that it got closer, and dragged its fingers down her jaw line and down to her neck.

Again I didn't dictate my hand to slither its way up back to the warmth of her throat, and then back to her cheeks. I didn't order my hand to run up to her chin and gently lift it so her lips were forward. My rebellious fingers seemed to make an alliance with the rest of my body; it leaned over A, hovering only a few inches away. I have reason to believe that my body's reason for this was to meet the lips of the fainted beauty on the bed. Thankfully once I was a few inches away her silver eyes fluttered open.

I played it off as if I was simply studying her at close range.

"First lesson, A…" I began standing up to a slouch, "Always check your surroundings. Didn't notice the hallways out there were twisting on you? How could you not, you were in a hot panic…" I continued.


	6. Illusion

(A's perspective)

"How could hallways _twist_?" I asked rolling my tired eyes. B smirked wildly, an even more sinister glisten in his eye.

"A trick of the light will always disorient your victim. Now." he began, "A mist of a hallucinogen doesn't hurt either..."

"You drugged me!" I called, my voice much louder than I thought possible. B's smirk deepened and he nodded, bringing me to my feet gracefully with one hand.

"Well, I had to. You see the reason I'm teaching you this is because L is constantly being threatened. Ergo, _you_need to realize when you're being threatened or manipulated." B continued leading me to the door. He gestured to the thread exposing itself from the lock. He placed his hand over mine and guided it to one was with two strange straw dolls-which I believe are called 'Wara-Ningyo'-nailed to the wall.

"This is a type of locking mechanism I coined myself. There are three other Wara-Ningyo nailed to the other walls. I have to admit... five was hard to do." he took a breath and began to explain the way that torque of the door opening and the lack of observation leads the victim to his own death. Or her death, I told him.

"So... what would the victim do about being drugged and having optical illusions about them?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer. He shrugged.

"Not much. Keeping a clear mind is the best thing to do, and realizing the difference between the possible and not is mostly the only thing you can do. You're just lucky that Mr. Lawliet showed up. Otherwise you'd be in some serious trouble. When he arrived I had to take down the lights..." he said, somewhat remorsefully.

"Alright... I'm not happy with you about that..." I mumbled under my breath. B sighed and sat in the chair by my desk with his knees curled up to his chest. I blinked in confusion.

"Why?" I asked. No further explanation was necessary; he either was asked this a lot, or did it deliberately. B explained to me that sitting in this way was rather uncomfortable and the amount of discomforting stimuli that was generated from the sitting position caused his deductive ability to raise by 40%, "I see..." I said lying down on my bed, "Do you sleep in that position too?" I chuckled.

* * *

"Yes." I said quite seriously. I approached her on the bed, sitting next to her in my odd position. She looked up to see what I wanted, but I wanted nothing. Do you remember how I said my hand was not a hand? It still has not stopped being rebellious. It was simply on hiatus, waiting for its moment to strike. Finally, as A sat up to ask any number of what I'm sure would have been intelligent questions, my hand saw the chance.

'What about lotion? What if I got some hand lotion? Then will you stop?' I thought to my hand. Again, it rejected my offer; instead my hand that was not a hand snaked its way to the back of her neck pulling her face closer to mine and our lips met. Abandoning the task my hand once again swore its allegiance to me, leaving me to deal with the mess it had created by kissing the young woman, whose… lips were still moving slowly on mine. Was she kissing back? When we pulled away I was just as shocked as she was.

Let us take a momentary break from this anecdote, shall we? I have been under great amounts of stress. I am next in line for L's titles should anything happen to A. I have something called 'Shinigami eyes' that allow me to see a person's name and death day. I have to constantly know when a person is going to die, and attempt to put that out of my mind. However, never have I been under so much pressure as I was when kissing A. Her lips were warm, and soft and after the tiny gasp of surprise, the feeling of her kissing me back was pure ecstasy.

* * *

For what might have been the third or fourth time today, my heart was racing against my mind. I hadn't any idea what was happening anymore, but... B's lips touching mine gently at first, then after becoming more familiar with new territory, moving a bit faster while bringing me closer... was body-melting. My lips are not lips. They cannot be lips because lips are supposed to do as your brain dictates. I did not dictate my lips to take Beyond Birthday's. I did not, furthermore, tell my lips to go back and kiss him again after we pulled away once. The rest of my body seemed to fall under the command of my mouth-which spoke no words but made decrees without my consent nonetheless; My arms were the first to fall into its command. They snaked their way around BB pulling him closer at the shoulders. The next were my fingers which ran their way through his black hair. Suddenly as footsteps in the hall-perhaps those of Mr. Lawliet-became audible we were forced to pull away once again.

Another look of shock lined B's face and my own. In one swift movement B leaped from the bed, opened the window and dropped downwards. Let me explain something; I am on the third floor of the dormitories. That's thirty feet down. When I heard no crash I assumed B was fine, though I'll never know how. When the door to my room opened and the enterer saw me asleep I can only imagine that they figured the noise was part of their own imagination.

What was I to do? I still needed Beyond's help, but there was no way things would be the same after... well you read what happened.

I was proven wrong the next day.

B did not speak to me.

B did not look in my direction.

And furthermore, B did not seem to take notice of my existence. He seemed to hate me. He seemed to ignore me angrily. What he could've been angry for I wouldn't know. From the looks of things, it was as if we'd never met.

But that night, once again, did B visit my room. And I did not like what he had planned.


End file.
